The larva of a botfly, which lives inside the bodies of horses, cattle, and other animals, often causing irritation and disease.
From Old English, possibly related to Proto-Germanic words for worm or parasite. The etymology is uncertain but may relate to the creature's parasitic behavior.
Botflies are master parasites—the mother fly glues eggs onto animal fur, and when an animal licks itself, it swallows the eggs which hatch into larvae that burrow under the skin and grow for months, essentially turning their hosts into incubators without asking permission.
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